Curtis T. Hairston Jr. was an 18-year-old African American man who was shot multiple times and killed on January 4, 2019, inside a former Long John Silver’s restaurant in Decatur, Illinois. Police described the shooting as the result of a botched gun swap. Another man suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital; Curtis died at a local hospital shortly after the incident.

The investigation produced several arrests. Matthew A. Anderson Jr. was arrested on January 11, 2019, on a warrant for first-degree murder. A 15-year-old boy from Decatur and Jaquarius West were also implicated and faced legal proceedings. Curtis’s death drew attention to the community’s struggle with gun violence and prompted responses from local leaders.

If anyone has information about what happened that night or knew Curtis, please come forward to help the ongoing pursuit of justice.